Parisa Barani is an Iranian/American director. After moving from Iran, she studied directing and film production at the University of British Columbia. She went on to earn her MBA from CSULB, where she found employment in distribution. As a director of International Sales, she traveled all over the world to film festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, Discope, and TV marketsʼ Mip-TV and Mip-Com.

Barani also studied at the prestigious SITI’s Theatre Intensive at Skidmore College, where Anne Bogart personally mentored her. Learning Viewpoint and Suzuki techniques taught her new ways to approach story and guide her actors to compelling performances. She is also an active member of Women In Film & Television Vancouver, the AWD (Alliance of Women Directors), Film Fatales and Women in Moving Pictures.

Barani’s award winning film, Ablution (wuzu), which she also produced and co-wrote, explores the inner life of a conservative Muslim woman named Neda and her struggle to reconcile her sexuality and spirituality in 1980s Tehran. Ablution has shown at festivals worldwide including the 38th Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) in San Francisco.

Parisa Barani is driven by her passion for directing, bold, new stories. She is fluent in both English and Farsi and has several projects in various stages of development.